Chemical compositions are used in subterranean operations for such purposes as the development and completion of wellbores that penetrate subterranean formations, and the production of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons from natural reservoirs. These operations include perforating subterranean formations, fracturing subterranean formations, modifying the permeability of subterranean formations, or even controlling the production of sand or water from subterranean formations. Some compositions employed in these oilfield operations are commonly known as drilling compositions, completion compositions, work-over compositions, packer compositions, fracturing compositions, stimulation compositions, conformance or permeability control compositions, consolidation compositions, and the like. Often such chemical compositions are additives, crosslinkers, or polymer compositions, and in the case of viscosifying agents, may be agents such as guar, guar-derived polymer compositions, cellulose, or cellulose-derived polymer compositions. These chemical compositions are generally transported to wellsites, where a wellbore is located, slurried in a fluid carrier, such as diesel fuel, or mineral oil, for example.
The use of a fluid carrier, however, has drawbacks. For example, the use of a fluid carrier increases the cost of the polymer composition. The fluid carrier to suspend the polymer composition must be purchased, along with any other agents required to aid in wetting the polymer composition upon mixing with water at the wellsite. Additionally, the use of a fluid carrier increases the weight of the polymer composition and thereby increases the transportation costs. Furthermore, depending on the type of fluid carrier used, there may be environmental regulations regarding exposure to the fluid carrier. Thus, it would be advantageous to avoid the use of a fluid carrier to transport chemical compositions to wellsites for subterranean treatment operations.